Fire-extinguishing compound.



'UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. HARRIS, OF CBANFORD, NEW JERSEY.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING COMPOUND.

No Drawing.

tory nature, such as fires caused by burning petroleum oil, benzin, gasolene, and similar materials, and its novelty consists in the ingredients of the compound used,

The principle of application of the com-- pound consists essentiallyin establishing at the seat of combustion a lingering blanket of a dry, heavy combustion-arresting vapor, which is generated by throwing upon the fire a liquid capable of beingvolatilized by the heat of the fire or of forming a film or blanket that shall further evolve vapors or by its own action as a retardent, smother the flames, thereby producing the desired heavy, gaseous blanket after reaching or during the course of its passage toward the fire.

The compounds are further applicable to the extinguishing of fires caused by electricity and fires around electrical machinery where the use of water would cause serious pound to reduce the freezing point of the resultant fluid.

I preferably form the compound by taking a suitable quantity of such a vehicle, preferably one which is itself non-inflammable, such as carbon tetrachlorid, and add to it bromoform, so that the bromoform content is about 10% by weight of the total mass. To the compound so formed, may be added other compounds to reduce its freezing point, suchas trichlorethylene or other like compounds, for this purpose.

The bromoform has the property of cutting off access of air to the seat of the fire on account of its high specific gravity and of its being non-inflammable itself, and of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented uly 4:, 1916.

Application filed June 2 1914. Serial No. 842,375.

its evolving non-inflammable vapors, while the vehicle is in itself non-inflammable and also a fairly efficient fire suppressing agent.

The fluid so formed should be kept in a suitable container, and be I maintained therein under pressure by the use of either liquid carbonic acid or of compressed 'air or of other vapors or fluids,'which will give the necessary ejecting force from the container when the compound is applied or ejection of the fluid may be had by mechanical means through the agency of aproperly made device that shall expel the fluid. When used it is forced in a stream on to the fire and its gases or vapors, being both volatile and heavy, there produce a blanket of dry incombustible gas or vapor overlying the burning material, and shutting off the supply of air, thus effectually extinguishing the blaze by a process of smothering. This blanket, moreover, isof such a nature t t it does not mingle with the gases or va ors produced by the combustion of the burning material, and the non combustible vapors formed have such a high specific gravity that they are not materially dissipated by the force of the draft created by such combustion as might be the case with'lighter gases or vapors.

When the fluid is delivered above the burning liquids such as gasolene or oil, the gaseous blanket immediately settles over the surface .and does not materially scatter the liquid, but remains over the surface a con siderable time as a heavy blanket which is incombustible and a non-supporter of combustion .and an extinguisher of flame, thereby smothering the blaze.

I do not wish to be understood as con-v ingredients mentioned for use as regards a proper veh cle, such as carbon tetrachlorid,

and to the use of such a compound as trichlorethylene to reduce the freezing point of the solution in combination with the bromoform. Nor do I wish to be understood as confining myself to the amount specified for each of these compounds,

although fro-m practical experience I believe that a fluid consisting of 90 parts carbon tetrachlorid and 10 parts bromoform and a fluid consisting of 80 parts carbon tetrachlorid, 10 parts bromoform and 10 partstrichlorethylene are most efl'ective for the purposes to be attained.

The ingredients described have the exceptional advantages that they are both nonpoisonous and volatile and of a nature that does not in any way injuriously affect the objects upon which they fall, there being no residue left and, so far as known to me, no injurious effect to any fabric or material, neither will there be any effect upon a metal container in which they may be placed for use.

The fluid above described is peculiarly adaptable for the extinguishing of fires from burning petroleum distillates, such as gasolene, kerosene and lubricating oils, from the fact that the preferred form of the fluid is miscible with such liquids, whereby a streamof the extinguishing compound or fluid, delivered upon the surface of such liquid in a state of ignition would not by the force of impact penetrate through the liquid to a point beneath its surface and thus lose its efficiency. ()n the contrary. it is obvious that being so miscible with liquids of this class. it cannot pass through a layer of such liquid and therefore its extinguishing effect will be promoted.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising bromoform and a noncombustible liquid vehicle, the bromoform content being substantially 10% of the total mass.

2. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising bromoform and a noncombustible liquid vehicle therefor in combination with a noninflammable material adapted to reduce the freezing point of the resultant fluid.

A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising bromoform and a liquid vehicle and a compound added thereto to reduce the freezing point of the resultant fluid, the liquid vehicle and said compound, both consisting of noninfl:'unmable fluids.

4. A fluid adapted for use in extinguish ing fires comprising bromoform and carbon tetrachlorid and' a noninflammable liquid adapted to reduce the freezing point of the mass.

A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising bromoform, carbon tetrachlorid and trichlorethylene.

G. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising bromoform a non-combustible liquid vehicle therefor miscible with petroleum distillates and a noninflammable liquid adapted to reduce the freezing point of the mass.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. HARRIS.

Vitnesses ALDA L. BIILLER, MARY H. LEWIS. 

